The Shadow in the Moon
by Jynx Anarchy
Summary: She is invisible. But now, out of the shadows, she will emerge. Nova Nocte has come to play. [This is not BunnymundXJack. I'm sorry to disappoint.] Chapter 4 is up! Please R&R, if ya' know what I mean...
1. Chapter 1

Jack soared through the clouds, staff in hand. He had not a care in the world. He stared at the cloudless sky and smiled. "Just saved the world from Pitch Black, I'm a Guardian..." He felt warm inside and laughed quietly to himself.

He soon arrived at his destination. He landed softly and thanked the breeze for carrying him for the long journey. The soft, newly-fallen snow crunched under his bare feet and he chuckled. He pushed the door open and said, "Knock, knock!"

North laughed heartily, "Jack! Glad you could make it!" The white-bearded man ruffled the young (looking!) boy's hair playfully.

"G'Day, Jack." A rough, Australian accented voice greeted from the shadows. Bunnymund flipped his boomerangs around and smirked. It

"Lemme guess," Jack snickered jokingly, "Tooth Fairy?"

"Hi, Jack!" Another bubbly, more feminine giggled, "How'd ya' know it was me?" Jack knew that voice anywhere. It belonged to Toothiana. She flittered around excitedly, happy to see Jack after a long six months.

Bunnymund stepped out of the dark and chuckled, "This ought'a be good..." Sandy sat a table, having a staring contest with an elf, who intently gazed back. He found it a pass-time for a tedious meeting.

While Jack stuttered out an explanation, he decide to just avoid answering all together. "Boy, am I glad ta' see you!" Jack exclaimed. He opened his arms to hug her tightly, causing Tooth to blush lightly and giggle nervously.

Bunnymund sighed, "Can we just get this meeting over with?" He didn't understand why the Tooth Fairy was so into Jack. How could teeth be attractive?

"Yeah, Santa," Jack said, "Why did you call us all here? Are the kids in danger again?"

"No," North stated in his thick Russian accent, "But this is important. The Man in the Moon tells me that we will have yet another new Guardian."

Sandy's eyes grew wide as he broke away from his game as he walked over to the group. "I don't know if I can take another one," Bunnymund muttered grimly, "'Specially not another kid."

"Hey, I'm three hundred years old," Jack protested, "I.E. not a kid." He twirled his staff around on his finger and shook his head, "Ya'd think I'd get a little more respect..."

"Maybe this time it's the Leprechan!" Tooth said excitedly. Sandy nodded and smiled. A small four-leaf clover made of his golden sand appeared above his head.

After a few more moments of idle banter, everyone stood in position, anxious to see who would join them.

A dark essence appeared in the center of their formation. Tooth, North, and Bunnymend let out a collective gasp of fear. Sandy hovered backward slowly.

Jack looked on with confusion and said, "What? A guy in a cape? What're you all freakin' out about?"

"That ain't just any guy, Mate..." Bunnymund stated, shaking his head.

"Nocte..." North sighed, putting a hand to his face, "Of all people, why Nocte?"

"So, it really is the Night-Bringer..." Tooth sighed timidly. Her violet eyes glinted fearfully and her wing-beat slowed to a hault.

"Night-Bringer? You mean that turns day to night?" Jack inquired curiously.

"Aye, and he's a crafty fella'," Bunnymund stated as he shifted uncomfortably, "None of us have ever even seen Nocte..."

"It's said that if your eyes meet Nocte the Night-Bringer's, you'll go blind, forced into an eternal night." Toothiana explained.

"He doesn't look that tough" Jack said, a zealous gleam in his eye, "Bet I could take 'im."

"Then you, child, must be insane," An ominous voice sighed quietly. A man with pale skin dressed in a suit, complete with jet-black bow-tie, formed from the dark aura hovering in the middle of the room. He looked weary and old, almost sickly, as if tired after a long day at work. The dark circles under his eyes revealed the presence of chronic insomnia in the poor soul's life. He adjusted his neck wear and smirked.

Jack stifled a snicker, "You've got to be joking..." He shook his head slowly as the man stepped off his podium.

"Excuse me?" The man asked with slight shock. He dusted off his clean arm, signaling his self-conscious demeanor. "Who do you think you are? Saying something so offensive..."

The other Guardians exchanged confused glances and remained silent.

Jack, by this time, laughed lightly, "You guys can't be serious! You've been scared of him?!" He fell into hysterics, doubling over. He held his staff tightly to balance himself. Jack trembled violently from his fit of laughed. "I'm so afraid! H-He might smack me with his glove!"

Bunnymund rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "So, you must be the Nocte," He said nonchalantly, trying to keep his tough-guy image in the time of uncertainty.

The Tooth Fairy tried evading the mysterious stranger's gaze, but it fell on her in an instant. The man smiled and chuckled, "That must be the situation. You think I am The Night Bringer."

North cocked an eyebrow and grunted, "And you are saying that we are mistaken?" He sounded unconvinced.

"That is exactly what I am saying, Master North," He laughed quietly.

"Wait..." Jack said, standing up straight and looking him in the eye, "What do you mean? Aren't you Nocte?"

"Jack!" Tooth quietly shouted, "Don't look directly into his eyes!"

"Oh, come now," Irritum chuckled, removing his gloves, "Master Nocte is extremely kind and warm-hearted. Just misunderstood. That 'eternal night' rumor is nothing more than jest."

"You honestly expect any of us to trust you?" Bunnymund inquired skeptically. He didn't feel trusting of anyone until they could prove themselves.

The light in the vast interior of the Pole drained slowly and an onyx mist quickly took its place. North drew his swords and Jack pulled Tooth close. The boy gripped his staff, holding it up defensively. Sandman created his signature sand-whips and looked around.

Bunnymund stood, seemingly unfazed, yet in reality, he was more perturbed than the others. He stared at the blackened room, unblinded by the tarnished plasma. A cloaked figure proceeded into an open door. Buuny's eyes glazed over as the figure locked eyes with him. The figure's eyes glowed brightly, and Bunny was mesmerized.

"Master Nocte!" Irritum exclaimed worriedly, quickly surveying the mysterious person. "Are you alright?! That was broad daylight you were out in! You could've burned, or-or worse!" The figure shook its hooded head and sighed softly. The darkness began to fade slowly, obediently slithering back to its master.

Bunnymund snapped himself out of the trance. "So, you must be Nocte, then," He said, casting a weary glance in the spirit's direction. The figure nodded slowly. "Bit of a lanky fella', ain't ya'?"

"Master Nocte is not lanky, Mr. Bunnymund." Irritum said sternly. The figure lifted its hand to silence him. Toothiana stared timidly from behind Jack as Nocte removed the hood.

Underneath the velvet hood was a youthful, stunningly beautiful women. Her ghostly pale skin with a slight grayish tint complemented her eyes, which gleamed an intense red hue. Her eyelashes were long and curled, her lips, full and soft...Her raven hair hung softly below her feet and swooped over left eye. She stared at the group of Guardians that stood before her.

Jack's jaw dropped. "There's no way!" He shouted, "There is no way that's," he pointed at the Night Bringer, "a dude!"

"You're Nocte?!" North and Tooth said in disbelief.

She didn't answer. She glared at Jack Frost. The Spirit of Winter. The Guardian of Fun. The son-of-a-bitch that cost her everything. She withdrew a scythe-like blade from the air around her and gripped the long, wooden handle tightly. The Guardians looked on with wide eyes as she approached Jack. She held the newly sharpened weapon to his throat and gave him a sharp look, her crimson eyes violently drilling through him.

"Wh-What do you want from me?" Jack asked, frightened beyond recognition. He swallowed hard and the smooth, warm steal of her weapon slid against his cold skin.

"...Jackson Overland Frost..." Her soft, feminine voice whispered. Her heavy Swedish accent sounded threatening and nefarious. She stared into Jack's crystal blue eyes with a dull, apathetic disposition. She couldn't care less if this foolish excuse for a Guardian survived this exchange. Hatred in its purest form rested on this girl's heart and she frowned.

"...Frost..." She sighed darkly, "I've been dying to drink the red from that pretty pale face of yours..." "...So, tell me...Tell me why I shouldn't slice your throat open right now..."


	2. The Night-Bringer

**"Mistress," Irritum sighed timidly, "Perhaps you are taking this just a tad too far..." He clasped his hands together nervously, his voice smoother than oiled silk, trying everything in his power to calm the young women down.**

She didn't move. She remained stone-faced, ready to cut Jack's chilled neck until she couldn't anymore. Until the pain subside.

Bunnymund growled up at the moon, "This was your idea of a Guardian?! She'll hack'im ta' pieces!" The Easter Bunny may have thought Jack annoying and disrespectful, but he didn't want him dead. Whether he liked it or not, the children needed Frost, maybe even more than they needed him.

"North!" Toothiana cried, "Do something, please!" Tears glistened in her eyes. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Jack so quickly. She knew that this Nocte person could snap at any instant, and she couldn't believe anyone could do such a thing to him.

North grimly whispered, "That won't do any good...She can't be touched. Is too dangerous..." He clenched his large fist together and closed his eyes, as if to stop time.

Sandy lightly bounced over to Nocte. He didn't care anymore. He knew what needed to be done. He tugged on Nocte's cloak, and she turned her head to look down at him. Sandy's eyes were narrowed with sympathy, for he knew her pain, her suffering, her sorrowful existence.

Nocte sighed softly and withdrew her weapon. She cast it away, back into thin air from once it came. Onto her knees she fell, humbled by the mere presence of the Sand Man. He wrapped his tiny arms around her neck, and Nocte gladly embraced him back.

The others looked at each other with utter shock and confusion, but Irritum simply sighed with relief.

Sandy brushed Nocte's hair from her eye and shook his head. She closed her eyes for a moment. The once electrifying, benumbing red became a dull, seemingly lifeless grey as she gazed back into his golden-brown eyes. She whispered something to him, to which he nodded understandingly.

Nocte stood up slowly. She turned her attention to Jack. Darkness crept up her body and covered her head to toe. Her eyes glowed just as they did when she first arrived and she whispered, "...Take comfort in this, Frost...'Thou art alive...Thou livist...'"

Irritum frowned as he watched his master vanish once again. "Thank you again, Master Sanderson," He said quietly. Sandy nodded again.

The Guardians let out the collective breath they were holding. Tooth rushed over to Jack and started quickly asking him questions. "Are you alright?! What happened?! Why was she trying to kill you?!"

"Allow me, Master Toothiana," Irritum said, pulling out a thick, worn book. The leather cover was aged with time, cracked and wrinkled, and the pages were yellow and stained.

"What was that all about?!" Jack demanded, "What was she trying ta' kill me?! What did I ever do to-?!" Irritum held his hand up to quiet the boy down.

"All will be explained," Irritum responded sharply, "If you can keep your mouth shut."

Jack opened his mouth to protest, but a paw on his shoulder and a solemn shake of Bunny's head told him that now wasn't the time. Jack crossed his arms as Bunny relaxed his arm by his side.

Irritum let go of the book. It hovered in the air, aligning with the mans's solar plexus. He conjured a shadow in his palm and blew it over the dusty pages.

Sandy's eyes widened as black dream sand danced above the tattered paper. Could it be that Pitch Black wasn't the only one able to harness the power of nightmares? He watch silently as the sand formed the figure of a small girl.

"First, let me tell you the story..." Irritum said airily, "...Of Ivana VanIssac." The little sand-girl waved, revealing her metaphorical identity. " As a beautiful human girl named Ivy," The man began, "She cared for and loved everyone around her. She was intelligent, humourous, blissful, and all-around wonderful. Ivana was the youngest daughter of a wealthy aristocrat called Felix and his young, Swedish bride named Mariza."

Two new sand people, one man and one women appeared next to the girl. They hugged their daughter happily, and a young girl's sweet, innocent laugh rang out through the room. Bunnymund looked around, as the laugh sounded extremely familiar.

"Her younger brother, Klause, was born on her fifteenth birthday. It was the greatest present she would ever receive." Irritum said with a small smile. A baby of sand floated down into the sand girl's arms and she issued another giggle. "She was immeadiately infatuated with the baby boy. However, shortly after giving birth, Mariza fell ill..." His frown returned. "Very ill...Soon after, Felix contracted the disease from Mariza."

The two adult figures began to cough and laid down on the air. The girl sank to her knees, looking at her parents with grief as the baby cried softly for his mother.

"If Ivy's parents didn't receive treatment," Irritum sighed sadly, "They would die..." The coughing grew quiet and the parents didn't move.

"Ivy, armed only with a lantern, made the journey outside during a terrible blizzard, Klause wrapped snuggly on her back. " The child walked against an invisible wind, trudging through the sand-snow and struggling to keep her balanced.

Jack felt an odd sense of guilt. _"I-I don't have anything to feel bad about...She's gotta' be older than me, right...?"_

"Three days later, she was able to retrieve the cure for her parents. As the ice storm raged on, Ivy noticed her baby brother's condition was deteriorating, so she ddecided to pick up her pace. In her haste, however, she lost her footing and fell into a crevice."

The child dangled from a ledge with both hands. She cried out for help, "Mama! Papa! Please, help!", but she was alone with her brother. She began unwrapping the baby from her back and placed him on the edge of the hole.

"Ivana wanted to save the baby...because she knew she would die...The storm-ravaged girl couldn't go on..." As Irritum uttered these words, the girl pushed the baby away. She lost her grip on the ledge and plummeted. An ear-splitting shriek sounding through the Pole, causing everyone with exception of Irritum to flinch.

"Three days she spent in that dreadful hole..." Irritum sighed as a heartbeat began to pound."...Writhing in pain...The poor dear was deathly afraid of the dark...She despised the secrecy of ominous shroud..." The heartbeat began to slow down until it came to a complete stop. "She finally succumbed to the anguish...and she died..."

Tooth took Jack's hand and squeezed it tightly. "What does Ivana have to do with Nocte...?"

Irritum looked at the white-haired young man with grief-stricken eyes. "Nocte...was Ivana..." He confessed.

Bunnymund felt empty inside, and so did Jack. Neither could believe a child died like this. Such a horrid prospect never crossed their minds.

"The reason Master Nocte tried to get rid of you, Master Jackson," Irritum stated as-a-matter-of-factly, "...Is because she blames you for her death."

"She lived in Scandinavia!" Tooth protested, "It's always cold and snowy there!"

"...No, Tooth..." Jack muttered dejectedly, "...It is my fault..."

Bunny glimpsed down at Jack, completely aghast by what he heard. "This is Frost, right? When does'e ever take blame for anythin'? Unless..."

"Then...how on Earth is she still alive?" North questioned.

"...She..." Irritum disclosed, "...She isn't...Master Nocte...was resurrected using the darkest of power by none other than..." He looked around, trying to make sure no one else could hear. When he could be sure they were alone, he whispered, "...Pitch Black..."

"Pitch?!" Tooth gasped, "How could he bring someone back to life?!"

"Magic," Irritum responded, "And lots of it. But...he wasn't completely successful..."

"Looked pretty successful ta' me," Bunny grunted, crossing his arms again.

"...On the outside, maybe..." Irritum corrected, "...However...on the inside...Her heart does not beat, she does not draw breath, blood flows not through her veins...Her skin is cold...For she is not alive."

"Why would Pitch bring her back...if she can't do anything more than he can?" Jack asked nervously.

"Because she can." Irritum replied. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "He brought her back as a baby. He needed a child to perfect his technique...A child that could hope, a child that could be happy...a child...that could dream."

The Sandman shook his head. He oversaw Nocte's dreams as she grew up. She could've been the purest child of any, but he knew it would be dangerous to get too close to the little girl. After about fifty years, her dreams were corrupted. A dark, evil force had over-taken them, an evil much too powerful for the spirit to handle. He watched from afar all this time. All two-hundred and fifty seven years. He watch an innocent little girl shift and contort into an unfeeling, empty body.

"...That's terrible..." Tooth sighed, putting a hand over her mouth.

"The oddest thing happened though...Pitch...he is the greatest father I've ever seen. He cared for Master Nocte more than he did for life itself..."

"This is just weird..." Bunny commented, "Pitch, a...daddy?"

"Indeed." Irritum stated, "But it's true...She is a lovely girl...Only about Master Jack's age. She just...doesn't remember that."

"Maybe...maybe that's why The Man in The Moon wants to make her a Guardian..." Jack insisted vehemently, "...She's gotta find herself...and maybe were the only ones who can help her!" He felt a sense of responsibility for Nocte now, seeing as though he was the one that ended her life so long ago.

"And just how," Bunnymund asked flatly, "Do ya' think we can do that?"

Jack got that look in his eyes that the Easter Bunny learned to dread. He got that look when he was determined to set things right, whatever the cost.

Bunnymund groaned, "Lemme guess...Your way?"

Jack smirked, forming a small ball of snow in his hands. "My way."


	3. A Yearning Embrace

**"Irritum!" Nocte snapped harshly, "Vad fan gör de här?! (What the Hell are they doing here?!)" She cast her cloak aside fiercely and growled, "Jag vill ha dem härifrån! Nu! (I want them out of here! Now!)"**

"But, Mistress-!" Irritum managed to plead before his futile protest was met with a swift smack to the face. The aging man stumbled a bit from the sheer force, but quickly recovered.

Jack and Bunnymund followed Nocte's servant back to Castle Nocte, the home of the legendary Mistress Nocte. Jack dragged Bunny along because we was the only not completely consumed by his holiday. But, this display of harsh reprimanding gave them an uneasy, uncertain feeling. They exchanged glances as their faces became full of worry.

"Inte du vågar argumentera med mig! Lämna mig, Irritum! (Don't you dare argue with me! Leave me, Irritum!)" Nocte's voice shook ever-so slightly, as if she would begin to cry. She turned away from the men and stormed away.

Irritum began to say something, but her eyes were fiery and red, so he stopped himself. He turned to Bunny and Jack and shrugged. Bunny rolled his eye, wishing he was back in his Warren, tending to his 'perishables'. Jack, however, was too busy checking out the scenery.

The black-marbled floor, the ivory grout, the grey walls, the vast, spiraling staircases that led up as far as his eyes could see...It resembled a castle from a fairy-tale. Absolutely breath-taking.

"Master Jack...?" Irritum's voice cut through Jack's thoughts.

"Y-Yeah?" Jack asked, still slightly fuzzy in the head from his child-like fantasy.

"Master Nocte has requested that you leave now..." He sounded penitent.

"Don't worry about it," Jack said leisurely, balancing his staff behind his shoulders, "We'll be fine."

"Speak for yourself," Bunnymund grunted impatiently, "...Bloody show-pony...Don't see why I'ad to tag along..."

"...I'm...actually...glad to see that someone cares enough to be here for Nova..." Irritum sighed.

"...Nova...?" Bunny asked quietly, sounding more interested.

"Nocte is her last name," Irritum announced, "...She really is a sweet girl. She just has...a bit of a temper."

"...Feisty...I like it." Jack snickered jokingly as Irritum rubbed his red cheek.

Bunnymund eyed Jack with a dangerous edge in the look. He stepped away from himself for a moment. "Did I just get...jealous...?!"

Couldn't be, right? She's only a hot-tempered, young, beautiful...Okay, maybe he was jealous. But he wasn't much of a romantic. Rarely entered his mind. But this girl got his gears turning.

"Please, let me show you around before you go." Irritum interrupted Bunny's thought just as quickly as he did Jack's.

"S-Sure, Mate," Bunnymund replied, still feeling hazy.

The butler smiled and waved them forward. They walked down a long corridor and Bunny's ears perked up when he heard a sad song from a room they passed not too long before.

"This is the 'House of Heart's Desire," Irritum explained joyfully, "Anything you want can be yours here..." Bunnymund started slipping away slowly, attempting to go unnoticed.

"Anything? Seriously?! Like, an indoor theme-park?" Jack asked, his eyes full of wonder.

"Well, that seems like a bit of an odd request," Irritum stated, "But I am almost certain it could be." Luckily, Jack's questions kept the servant distracted long enough for him to get away.

Bunny began following the melancholy melody all the way to a door. Unlike the rest that were an off-white, cream color, this door was elegantly carved and midnight black.

A voice, light like velvet fog on a summer's morning, sang to his soul. It invoked such strong emotion that Bunnymund had not felt in a long time. He felt the suffering, the pain, the sorrow...

"...From here, to the moon, and back...Who else in this world would love you like that?...Love ever-lasting...I promise you that...From here, to the moon, and back..."

_"...She's pullin' at my heart-strings like a fiddle..."_ Bunnymund admitted silently, leaning his back against the wall. _"Can this really be Noc-...Nova...?"_

A shadow crept under the door. From it, Nova formed, dangerously close to the Easter Bunny. His stature humbled her 5'4" body, but he was more timid than she.

To Bunnymund's surprised, Nova smelled of vanilla and cinnamon, a pleasantly sweet scent. Her grey eyes glimmered as their gazed locked once again. She swore, for a split second, that her still heart began to beat again. So long had it been since she trusted anyone enough. She could feel his essence, edgy and rough on the outside, but deeper lied a soft interior, wishing for affection and acceptance. Just like her. Connections like this only came once in an eternity, and Nova refused to let it escape.

"...It is...me..." A light blush invaded her face as she whispered this to him. "...I'm not what I seem...Bunnymund..."

Never before did he experience such pure bliss. This euphoria came from her...Bunny believed Nova. He almost didn't want to. He saw the way she acted toward everyone, and yet, this was a side he doubted he would see again. He was falling under her spell.

Bunnymund caressed Nova's cheek with his paw. Irritum didn't lie when he said she was cold, but he didn't care. The flawless skin felt like satin. His other paw developed a mind of its own as it wrapped around her hips. They were delicately and femininely defined and the arm easily encircled her body, and she gently trembled. Nova placed her small, pale hands on his broad shoulders and effortlessly glided up his furry neck. Her head tilted to one side, and his the other. They inched forward. So close to each other, but still out of reach.

The sands of time faded from their minds, and the world outside this yearning embrace disappeared. There was nothing left. Nothing but Nova and Bunnymund. Such a deep longing consumed them, but they came no closer. They knew it to be crazy...Was this just a dormant lust that surfaced after of hundreds of years of isolation? Did it mean nothing? No...this was more than that...but what it truly was rested far beyond them...for now.


	4. An Unwanted Wake-Up Call

_Nova looked around frantically, blinded in the heavy darkness. She trembled violently, scared for her life. Only a child, she wanted her father to protect her, just as he always did. But, he wasn't there. And he wasn't coming._

_"Papa!" She cried, "Papa, please! I-I'm afraid!" No reply. An ominous growl came from the shadows. A pair of blood-shot, red eyes peaked down at her. A wicked smile appeared just below them, and Nova gasped with fear._

_"Run, Ana!" A voice shouted, "Run!" Nova turned away from the creature and sprinted away. Tears streamed down her face as unknowingly stumbled around. She couldn't quite keep her balance and she tripped._

_Nova closed her eyes tightly. She felt her hands gripping an icy protrusion, almost like she scaled a mountain to reach it. The wind whipped around her, tearing her eyes open. She dug her nails into the snow, and a baby's sobbing sliced through the whistling of the wind._

_"Klause! Min bror (My brother)!" Nova screamed. Yet again, she would lose for her little brother. She couldn't do anything about it either. He would die in front of her eyes._

_As the bundle of cloth tumbled over the ledge and the crying disappeared, Nova shrieked, "Klause! N-No!" The tears flowing down her cheeks began to freeze and she continued to scream for her baby._

_The world around her felt empty. All was still and quiet. This all-consuming dimness haunted her every waking moment, fighting her for control. The real Nova left was buried within this terrible monster._

_Nova closed her eyes again. Weak and defenseless, she lost her will to fight. A little voice in her head whispered seeds of doubt and wicked thoughts. She relaxed slowly as it said, "Let go, Anastasia...Let go...Aren't you cold...Ana...?"_

_Nova nodded slowly and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry and glowed softly. One of her hands released the frigid ice and she dangled loosely. A black aura crept up from the abyss and the evil face showed itself again._

_And yet, Nova was no longer afraid. It felt wrong, but very right. The mist slithered up her leg and she submitted with a soft moan as it slid higher up. An invisible force, teasing and taunting, toyed with her. She knew it shouldn't, but it felt...soo...good..._

_Suddnely a large beam of light sliced through the dark, expelling the evil from around Nova. Brilliant, blinding, beautiful, this was nothing like she'd ever seen._

_"This isn't who you are, Anastasia," An deep, kind voice sighed. Nova looked around as the darkness returned._

_It growled lowly, "No, Ana...aren't you cold? Step into my Chasm, Child..."_

_"No, Ana, no! Whatever you do, stay away from the Chasm!"_

_All these voices, all this arguing, it was driving Nova mad! She felt her body being yanked apart, torn between the obscurity she knew, and this uncertain fluorescence._

_"Come to me, Ana...you know it is right..." The shadows called._

_Nova wanted to tear her hair out. She hissed, "Silence yourself, insufferable shadows."_

_The darkness roared viciously, "You are a JOKE TO ME!" The entire was soon engulfed in flame. The creeping, looming creature snaked around her thighs, wrists, and neck, holding her in place. Nova squirmed and wiggled, trying desperately to free herself._

_"L-Let me go!" Nova shouted with more confidence than she really had, "I-I'm warning you!" The darkness just cackled wickedly and tightened its grip, slowly draining her life away. With her dying breath, she let out a feeble cry, a pleading call for salvation from this miserable existence._

Nova woke with a start. There, right in front of her eyes, sat Jack. He smiled suavely and said, "Mornin', Sunshine."

Irritum worked busily, sorting through old books in Nova's study. Suddenly, a terrified scream issued through the Castle. Irritum dropped the book in his hands and rushed out to the foyer. "Mistress!" He called, and his voice echoed through the vast space. A bit of incoherent shouting followed it.

Jack rushed down the banister of the stair-case, sliding on his bare feet. Nova chased him down the stairs, red-eyed and hell-bent on getting rid of Frost. Jack reached the bottom of the stairs and hopped off.

"Master Frost?!" Irritum shouted worriedly, "How did you get in here?!"

"My main concern is getting out of here, Irritum!" Jack cried, "Where's the exit?!" Nova jumped on Jack's back, causing him to stumble to the ground. She pinned him down, sitting just above his waist to keep him in place.

"I'm s-sorry!" Jack lied, "I shouldn't have snuck in! I-I'll leave! Just let me go!" He glimpsed up at Nova. Her short, silk nightgown hung loosely off her shoulders and it barely covered her up. Her hair swept across the ground and the skin of his neck. He could feel his face getting hot and he closed his eyes.

Nova growled, "Why are you here...? Why must you torment me so?" She trembled with rage and sadness. She wanted to be left alone, to go on existing, just as she always had. She didn't understand this boy. "...Have not you done enough...?"

Jack opened his eyes again and sighed, "...I just wanted to make everything right..."

Nova gave a look of bewilderment. She got up, standing right over Jack. He glanced up her gown for a split second, and his face turned bright red. He sat up quickly, still gazing at her. She turned away from him and hugged herself tightly.

"...N-Nova, I-I..." Jack stuttered, getting to his feet. He slowly reached for Nova's shoulder, but when he made contact, she shrugged it off.

"...Just...get out of here...Jackson..." Nova sobbed quietly. Tears flowed steadily down her cheeks and she bit her lip. "...You ruined my life...and you ruined my death...And there isn't a single thing you can possibly do to erase this pain...Nothing..." The front door swung open with a crash. Nova pointed to it and said, "...So stop trying...and just get out..."

"N-Nova," Jack pleaded. He never took 'no' for an answer, but he had run out of options at that point. Nova grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him out. He hit the ground with a thud. He picked his face out of the dirt and shook his head, spitting out the grim with disgust. He heard the door slam and he sighed again.

Jack stood up, dusting himself off. He looked around and realized that his staff was missing. "It must be inside..." He thought without turning around, "...But there's no way I can get back in..." He was at a lose. He couldn't face her, but he couldn't be without his powers. He decided that it came time to ask a favor...and he didn't like it one bit.

"You did what?!" Bunnymund shouted, nearly cracking the egg he just began painting. He set it gently on the ground next to the rock where he sat and it waddled away.

"Yeah...I-I didn't think she'd freak out so bad..." Jack muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

Bunny turned his body to face Jack and said, "And what exactly were ya' trying ta' accomplish with this little 'stunt'?"

"Well, gee," Jack said flatly, "I wanted to see if she'd be interested in investing in a time-share with me." He shoved his hands into his lone jacket pocket.

Bunny cocked an eyebrow. "Where's that glorified walkin' stick'a yours?" He questioned.

"My staff," Jack hissed, "...Is still at Castle Nocte...I...I need you to get it back for me."

Bunnymund's eyes widened, but he smirked. He couldn't help but feel smug after hearing Jack's request. "And why," He snickered, "Should I even consider helping you?"

"Oh, c'mon," Jack whined, "I can't get it back myself. Besides, she likes you more than me."

"I'd like ta' think so," Bunnymund stated, crossing his arms, "But you can't get it back on your own...?"

"...N-No..." Jack replied glumly, staring at the ground, "...No I cannot..."

"Why not?"

"...Well..."

"Yeah?"

"...I may have, sort of...indirectly..."

"Spit it out!" Bunnymund snapped impatiently, "I don't 'ave all day!"

"...I made her cry." Jack said remorsefully.

Bunny's eyes narrowed and he stood up. He walked up to Jack, finding it harder to keep him composure. "...You did...what...?" He asked with a dangerous edge to his tone. Jack didn't say anything and Bunny smacked him in the back of the head.

"Bloodly yobbo..." Bunnymund growled.

Jack rubbed the tender spot under his hair and grumbled "I said I was sorry..."

"'Sorry' doesn't always cut it, ya' Bloke!" Bunny said angrily, "Now I have to go clean up your damn mess..." He smiled inwardly, but maintained his wrathful expression. He needed an excuse to see her again, even if only for a moment.

Over the past few days, Bunnymund watched Nova at work. Unbeknownst to him, Nova created the sunset every evening. Such craftsmanship took her years to perfect, but she painted these beautiful sights into the sky for all to behold. He was able to experience a softer side of her through the subtle things she did. He listened to her, singing to the moon at twilight. Such sweet, sorrowful song that could only escape the soft lips of the night spirit. She never once noticed him, but he knew so much about her already.

Bunnymund groaned, "I'll get'cha stick back..."

"Ahh, man, you're a life-saver!" Jack exclaimed happily.

"But, it's gonna cost ya'." Bunny smirked. He figured he could get a kick out of watching Frost squirm. All part of the plan.

"Cost me what?" Jack questioned nervously, taking a step back.

"Haven't figured that part out yet," Bunny admitted, still grinning slyly, "But it'll be worth every second I spend in that castle."

**Okay, that's Part 4 for ya'. I didn't quite know which angle I should take with this chapter, which is why I took so long to write this one. But I've let a lot of people with a lot of unanswered questions, but trust me: You'll get all the answers you want...in due time. :3 I've been neglecting my pee-ople, so if you've got any suggestions for future chapters, feel free to PM me. Please typity a review, it really helps me out, especially when I'm trying to figure out if people are likin' this story. Thank ya' kindly, and l'll see you with the next update.**


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